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Seeing Sounds

(2008, Rap, by N.E.R.D., Label: Interscope Records)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    New take on genre is still a bit misogynistic.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Some objectification of women: "Hey/Do you have any black inside you?/Would you like some, like some?...Your girlfriend's jealous, you got the fattest ass." The song "Windows" is about voyeurism (guy watching a girl).

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    The rappers brag about being a "nasty guy" on the song "Time for Some Action" and discuss casual sex: "Don't you mistake this ma this is not love/it's lust/No cuddles and hugs/this is for floor and rugs." On "Everyone Nose" the guys indirectly link women having sex with getting money: "You got somethin' boys can't deny (Here's a hint)/It's like apple pie/Cut you open and you're just wired...A hundred dollar bills."

  • Language:

    "Bitch" is a favorite word of the band and is used as a reference to women, but also as a pronoun and an exclamation. "Motherf--ker," "f--k," and "s--t" are also thrown into the songs a few times.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A few references are scattered throughout the songs, such as on "Anti-Matter" ("Talking 'bout where the weed at/Wait, what you coughing for?/I thought you was an expert"). "Everyone Nose" is a reference to snorting cocaine in a public bathroom: "I got a crown made of powder, everybody knows who's the king of the coke flow be."
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Seeing Sounds

Parents need to know that several songs at the beginning of this mixed-genre album deal with sexuality -- voyeurism and bragging about being a "nasty guy" and getting some "action." One song, "Everyone Nose," objectifies women and talks about snorting cocaine.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how a rap group markets itself. N.E.R.D. promotes itself as an enlightened, cerebral, and eccentric band. However, a lot of their lyrics follow standard rap conventions. How does marketing help establish an image beyond a group's actual work? Does an image sometimes become more important than the lyrical and musical content of a band?
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